Magnifier



Feb. 12, 1946- R. F. .E. STEGEMAN' 4,

. I MAGNIFIER I Filed Jan. 19, 1944 v RAYMOND F. ESTEGEMAN 1 v v m nPatented Feb 12, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Raymond F. E.Stegeman,

to Bausch & Lomb Opti ter, N. Y., a corporatio Application January 19,1944, Serial No. 518,822

4 Claims.

This invention relates to magnifiers and more particularly to a smallhand-held magnifier pivotally mounted to a casing for housing the samewhen not in use.

Such small magnifiers have been heretofore proposed and. have generallyconsisted of a lenscarrying frame pivotally mounted for movement intoand out of a casing. The casing in the prior devices usually was formedof a plurality of plates spaced apart by a separate piece which formed awall of the casing. The casing often times has been provided with asmall ring-like member which served as .a means for securing themagnifier to a chain or the like worn by the user.

To retain the lens-carrying frame in the easing when the magnifier wasnot in use, the frame has been made so that the opposite edges thereofwere frictionally engaged by the inner surfaces of the casing. After ashort period of use, however, the resultant wear of the engagingsurfaces of the frame and casing impaired the frictionally engagementand consequently the frame failed to remain in its closed position. As aresult the lens faces would be scratched or chipped particularly wherethe magnifier was carried in a pocket of the user which contained otherarticles.

In the magnifier of the present invention the casing is formed of somesuitable material by a simple molding operation as an integral piece.The lens-carrying frame is preferably formed in a similar manner and ismounted to the casing by means of a small-pivot pin, the opposite endsof which the mounted in aligned apertures formed in the spaced walls ofthe casing. This manner of forming the casing greatly reduces the numberof forming operations heretofore necessary and consequently reduces themanufacturing costs of the magnifier.

The difficulty had in prior magnifiers after the engaging surfacesbecome worn is obviated by the magnifier herein disclosed for the casingthereof is provided with means which more posi tively engage the frameand securely maintain the same within the casing. The means comprises aresilient detent member such as a spring catch carried by the casingwhich engages a notch formed in the lens-carrying frame when the latteris moved into the casing. The resiliency of the spring catch securelyholds the frame within the casing but yet permits the same to be easilymoved out of the casing when it is desired to use the magnifier.

To further simplify the manufacture of the magnifier, the detent memberis formed as an integral part of a resilient cotter pin, the headGreece, N. Y., assignor cal Company, Rochesn of New York of which .formsan attaching loop for the magnifier. The pin is inserted into apassageway formed in the transverse wall of the casing until the loopthereof is brought into engagement with thevouter surface of the casingwhereafter the one arm of the pin is bent over to retain the pin withinthe passageway. The other arm of the pin can then be formed intothedetent member so disposed as to engage the vframe and dog thesamewhen the frame is moved to the position in which the detent willride into the notch of the frame.

It will thus be seen that the one piece molded casing can beeconomically manufactured and that the detent member can be easilyformed after the pin is inserted in the passageway of the casing. Theresultant magnifier is not only more eificient in use but considerablymore economical to manufacture than previously proposed magni fiers ofthe type herewith shown.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the magnifier of the presentinvention.

ent invention, referring now to Fig. 1, the numeral I 0 designates thecasing for housing the frame II in which is mounted the lens It. Thecasing, in the embodiment of the invention now preferred, is formed ofsome suitable material capable of being molded. As the casing H] can bemolded as an integral unit, the plurality of formingand assemblingoperations necessary to complete many of the magnifiers heretoforeproposed are eliminated. Thus the manufacturing costs of the magnifierof the present invention are relativelylow as compared'with priormagnifiers of the type herein disclosed.

; The casin'g comprises a pair of walls It spaced apart by a transversewall I5 to form a storage member ,for the frame H. The frame ispreferably mounted to the casing for pivotal movement into and out ofthe same and in the form of the invention illustrated, the frame isformed with an opening for receiving a single pin l 6 of such a lengththat the opposite ends thereof will project beyond the frame forreception in aligned openings in the walls I4 of the casing. As theframe can be molded the hinge means of the frame may consist of a pinformed integral with the frame on opposite sides thereof.

As it is often desirable to carry magnifiers of the type herein shownattached to the person of the user, a loop I1 is provided which may beused asan anchoring "ring if it is desired to secure the magnifier toa'chain or similar article worn by the user. In the form of theinvention now preferred, the loop is an integral part of a bifurcatemember, such as the cotter pin illustrated, having tines I8 and I9 ofunequal length. The pin is mounted in a passageway extending through thewall I5 of the" casing withtheloop thereof engaging the outer surface ofthe wall. To hold the cotter pin in the passageway 20, the shorter tineI9 is laterally bent to form" are taining member 2I, the interiorsurface of the wall I5 being recessed to receive the retaining member sothat the same will not interfere with movement of the frame I I into andout of the casing.

The longer tine I8 is bent laterally intermediate the ends thereof toform the finger 22 provided adjacent the free end thereof with a reverseb'end 23 which forms a detent in the embodimentof the inventionillustrated for holding the frame within the casing when the latter ismoved into the same. The arm 22 isso formed that the detent 23 isnormally disposed in thepath of movement of the frame I I and,therefore, will be engaged by the edge face 24 of the frame duringmovement of the latter. To permit thefinger 22 and the detent 23 to becammed back out of the path of movement of the frameI I so that the samecan be freely moved into and out of the casing, the interior surface ofthewall I5 is formed with an elongate recess 25. The recess is so formedthat the base of the finger is disposed within the same in all positionsof the frame. The edge face 24 is provided with a notch 26 which is sodisposed'on the edge face that the detent 23 will ride therein whentheframe is movedto the storage position within the casing. The finger 22should be sufficiently-resilient to permit the frame to be movedout'ofthe casing by merely applying a small pressure to the exposed edge faceof the frame l I but rigid enough to dog the frame I I againstaccidental movement. To restrain the cotter pin from rotation relativeto the casing, the recess as well as the recess in which the retainingmember 2I is disposed, are just slightly wider than the latter and thefinger 22. Thus as long as the retaining member 2I and the finger 22 aredisposed in the recesses, the walls of the latter will hold the cotterpin against rotation.

w l. A magnifier comprising a*lens,a frame for said lnsia casing forreceiving said frame;

means for pivotally mounting said frame to said casing for movement intoand out of the same; said casing having a passageway extending through atransverse wall thereof; an elongate member carried 'within saidpassageway, said member having a loop formed at the outer end thereof of"a diameter greater than the width of said passageway; retaining meanscarried by the It will be seen that the present invention provides avery compact and efficient magnifierat a relatively low cost for asheretofore explained, the casing can be easily moldedas an integralunit. The assembly of the cotter pin and casing is a simple one for thearm I8 can be formed with the detent 23 and the cotter pin merelyslipped through the passageway 20 until the loop I! is brought upagainst the outer surface of the Wall Hi. It is then possible with asuitable tool to bend over the ti e19 to form' the retaining member 2|after which the tine I8 can be urged over to form the finger 22. Asthebaseof the finger 22 will also hold the cotterpin againstlongitudinal movement relative to the passageway 20, there is no dangerof the cotterpinbe coming separated from the casing:

inner end of said-member and engageable in a recess formed in theinterior surface of said transverse wall for holding said member againstmovement in said =passageway;"said" retaining means'releasably holdingthe framewithin'said casing. I a I 2. A magnifier comprising a'casing'having a passageway-extending through a wallthereof; a lens; aframeforsaid'lens rotatively mounted for movement into and out of saidcasing, said frame having a notch formed therein; an elongate memberbent over on itself, said member being mounted insaid passageway withthe ends ofsaid member disposed within said casing, one of 'said endsbeing'formed with a retaining memher to prevent withdrawal of saidmember from said passageway; and a detent formed on the other end ofsaid member and engageable in said notch for holding said frame'withinsaid casing.

3. A magnifier comprising a casing having a passageway extendingthroughthe wall thereof a lens; a frame for said lens rotatably mountedfor movement into and out of "said casing; a bifurcated means disposedwithin said passageway; a ringcarried by the exterior end of said means,one tine of said means terminating in a laterally extending member forholding said means against withdrawal from said passageway; and a detentmeans carried by the other of said tines, said last named tine beingresilient and normally holding said detent in the path'of movement ofsaid frame, said frame having a notch formed therein for receiving saiddetent means-When the frame is moved into said casing, the interiorsurface of said transverse wall being recessed to receive the last namedtine when the frame is moved into said casing and held therein bysaiddetent;

4. A magnifier comprising a casing having a passageway extending througha transverse wall thereof, a lens; a frame for said lens rotatablymounted for. movement into and out ofsaid casing; a bifurcated membermounted in the passageway with the tines thereof disposed adjacent theinterior surface of said wall; means carried by the exterior end of saidmember to prevent inward movement of said member relative to saidpassageway, one of the tines of said member being bent over intoengagement with the interior-sur face of said transverse wall: a fingerangularly projecting from the other "of said tines; and a detent carriedby said finger and normally disposed vin the path of movement of saidframe, said frame having a notch formed therein-for receiving saiddetent when said frame is moved into said, casing.

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